Upon further review, the suspensions NFL commissioner Roger Goodell handed to current and former New Orleans Saints players have been overturned.

Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, Goodell's former mentor assigned to handle the current round of the players' appeals to the league, has decided that discipline for the four players—linebackers Jonathan Vilma and Scott Fujita, defensive ends Will Smith and Anthony Hargrove—will be vacated.

Although Tagliabue, per league spokesman Greg Aiello, "affirmed the factual findings of Goodell" to the point that the players were deemed to be in the wrong for their alleged involvement in the pay-to-injure program better known as "Bountygate," there was not enough evidence for Tagliabue to approve the league's original punishments for Vilma, Fujita, Smith and Hargrove.

"Unlike Saints' broad organizational misconduct, player appeals involve sharply focused issues of alleged individual player misconduct in several different aspects," Tagliabue said in his statement. "My affirmation of Commissioner Goodell's findings could certainly justify the issuance of fines. However, this entire case has been contaminated by the coaches and others in the Saints' organization."

Vilma had been suspended the entire 2012 season. Smith had gotten four games. With the ruling, it means both current Saints are cleared to play for the rest of the 2012 season, beginning with Sunday's game at Tampa Bay. Originally, Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, had received three games, and Anthony Hargrove had been hit with eight. Fujita's suspension later was reduced to one game, and Hargrove's to seven, with five games being counted after his release from the Green Bay Packers.

In their fight to have the suspensions vacated and names cleared -- including a initial appeal that wasn't ruled in their favor -- what Tagliabue ruled Wednesday was winning half the battle. It was a bigger defeat for Goodell, who was steadfast in his player discipline, even when the gathering of the evidence and swift nature of the punitive process were greatly in question. While Tagliabue didn't see enough to uphold the suspensions, he made it clear the league did find enough to find fault with the players' actions.

"Having reviewed the testimony very carefully, including documentary evidence that is at the center of the conflict, and having assessed the credibility of the four central witnesses on these matters, I find there is more than enough evidence to support Commissioner Goodell's findings that Mr. Vilma offered such a bounty (on Brett Favre)," Tagliabue continued in his statement.

Although Goodell's authority took a big hit outside the NFL offices, the current league powers were supportive of Tagliabue's ruling, which did back their crackdown on the Saints.

"The decisions have made clear that the Saints operated a bounty program in violation of league rules for three years, that the program endangered player safety, and that the commissioner has the authority .under the CBA to impose discipline for those actions as conduct detrimental to the league. Strong action was taken in this matter to protect player safety and ensure that bounties would be eliminated from football."

While the NFL was content, the players union felt justified.

"We believe that when a fair due process takes place, a fair outcome is the result," the NFL Players Association said in a statement. "We are pleased that Paul Tagliabue, as the appointed hearings officer, agreed with the NFLPA that previously issued discipline was inappropriate in the matter of the alleged New Orleans Saints bounty program.

"Vacating all discipline affirms the players' unwavering position that all allegations the League made about their alleged "intent-to-injure" were utterly and completely false."

The teammates of Vilma, Smith and Fujita also shared joy in the players' victory.

"Congratulations to our players for having the suspensions vacated," Saints quarterback Drew Brees (@drewbrees) wrote. "Unfortunately, there are some things that can never be taken back."

The fallout from the bounty scandal still caused the Saints to get a black mark as an organization during the offseason. It also caused them to play without head coach Sean Payton, who was suspended for the entire season. The defense, minus Gregg Williams, has struggled. At 5-8, the Saints have gone from a Super Bowl contender last season to well out of the playoff picture this season.

The Saints will look to quickly put this chapter behind them. For the players whose names became well-known for the wrong reasons during the process, their punishments have no longer been deemed worthy, but their reputations have still been tainted.